


The Pint Size Misadventures Of Michelangelo!

by Mozarts Fantasy (MozartsFantasy)



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Family, Gen, Humor, Slight Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-29
Updated: 2016-04-29
Packaged: 2018-06-05 06:18:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6692920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MozartsFantasy/pseuds/Mozarts%20Fantasy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While setting up a prank in Don's lab a small mishap makes for hilarious consequences. Mikey will now be faced with many TINY adventures in his quest to return to his original form. Will his brothers help or are they a disaster waiting to happen?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Small Dilemma

**Author's Note:**

> **AN: This is my first ever fanfic! Posted on FF.net back in 2013 so it's kinda old. I may eventually redo it. Hope you enjoy my story anyways. Reviews are always welcome.**
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> **Disclaimer: Sadly I do not own TMNT.**

Mikey was in Don's lab working on the newest prank that had entered his mind when all of a sudden he heard the lair door open.

" _Oh shell, my bros must have come home early"_ he thought as he went to peek out the open door to make sure the coast was clear.

His brother's had left a few hours ago to help April with her stores inventory. She had just got a new shipment of antiques and needed help organizing her stock. Mike had stayed behind uttering an excuse that he had to work on his katas. His bothers gave him a look that said they didn't believe him one bit but left it at that saying they would be back in time for dinner. Master Splinter had left earlier that same day informing his sons that he was going on a trip to help out an old friend who had recently fallen awfully ill. He was not expected home for two weeks at the very least.

"Mikey we're home and we picked up pizza, if you want some I left it on the counter!" Donnie shouted as he entered the living room startling Mikey who was attempting to sneak away unseen.

Just as he was about to close the door Don came round the corner and headed straight for his lab looking lost in thought. Mikey had just enough time to duck out of sight (back inside through the door he was moments ago closing). In doing so he had managed to knock over a small, weird looking machine that was sitting on the table he was now hiding himself under in the hopes that Donnie would fail to see him.

Beep, Rattle, Beep, Clang, Beep!

The machine came to life with an array of various sounds and lights. Mike made a snatch for it to try and shut it off before it caught Dons attention. As he reached for it a ray of brilliant, white light shot from the end that was facing the table and surrounded him. Everything started to spin, the world was a haze of colors and sound, forming into one massive twister with him smack dab in the middle. Then everything faded and went black.

Donnie was approaching his lab, while thinking of his newest invention, when he heard a loud thud as if something had just fallen to the floor. He made a dash for the door but before he could enter there was a radiantly, bright light that came from within the room and blinded him. After he recovered the use of his eyes (albeit with some remaining dark spots) he gazed around the area to see what had fallen. There on the floor near the table lay the very same invention (The Shrink-O-Ray) he had formally been pondering on! Don gently picked it up and examined it for any damage.

"Oh no, the entire circuit board is fried!" Don sighed "It'll take me at least a week to find all the parts I will need to repair the damage that's been done, and get it back into working order".

From what he could deduce from a quick but thorough inspection several fuses were blown, as well as a broke resistor and a couple cracked capacitors. Most were an easy fix, the only problem being one tiny fuse.

" _How did it get on the floor in the first place_ " Don thought to himself "MIKEY!" he yelled as he realized that the only possible way that it would have fallen was if someone had bumped it, and Mike was the only one home!

"Guys" Donnie shouted for his elder brothers who were in the dojo sparring with each other. "Get in here NOW!"

When Leo and Raph heard the frantic call of their normally quiet brother they immediately knew something was wrong. The two older brothers leapt forward at the same time nearly colliding with each other in their haste to reach Donnie. As they approached the lab Don stepped out, a look of unparalleled worry on his face.

"Yo Donnie what happened?" Raph asked in his usual gruff manner "Ya sound like shred-heads right outside the lair".

"Don did another of your inventions explode?" Leo asked as he tried to peer into the lab to see how much damage it caused this time. "Are you hurt?"

"Mikeylabshrinkmachinenowhere " Don rushed ahead in explanation without even trying to catch his breath.

"What ya sayin, I don't talk gibberish!" Raph smirked.

"He's right Donnie you need to calm down or we won't be able to understand a word you're trying to tell us" Leo replied as he placed a reassuring hand on Don's shoulder.

Don managed a few deep, calming breaths before starting his explanation once again.

"When we got home I immediately decided that I would head to my lab to work on my newest invention- the Shrink-O-Ray (isn't that name just spectacular!) It's used to shrink household objects so that they take up less storage space." at this he held up the small machine that he had clasped in his hands. "As I was nearing the entrance there was a blinding light, it disappeared nearly as soon as it had started. I then walked through the doorway and noticed that my invention was on the floor. I picked it up and did a thorough check of its functions, most of which need to be repaired." he broke off with a frustrated huff "Do you know how long it took to find all the parts I needed to build this in the first place?" Don started to list a bunch of technical parts and equipment.

"Stop wit all your technical what not and git on wit it already!" Raph intervened having enough of hearing about all the various parts of the weird machine. From what he could figure, from the ramblings of his intellectually inclined brother, it was a very high tech piece of junk meant to shrink stuff down for storage.

"And what does all this have to do with Mikey?" Leo asked apprehensive of the answer he was about to receive.

"That's what I'm trying to explain to you. Mikey was the only one here! He must have been in my lab for some reason or other, heard me coming, panicked, and knocked the Shrink-O-Ray off the table, resulting in it turning on and shrinking him!" he said patiently as if explaining something to a child for the very first time.

Meanwhile (as his eldest brothers were absorbing what the genius had said) Mike was in the process of waking up.

"Man what the shell happened"? he said while he rubbed his aching head. In a flash everything that had happened came rushing back! _"I remember now, I was gonna prank Donnie then there was that weirdo flash of light, the spinning, and the tornado of colors (man that last part was pretty groovy), I must have blacked out after that."_ Mikey thought while he managed to get to his feet, the world spinning a bit as he stumbled forward.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY!" Mikey jumped as he heard the shrieks that escaped the mouths of Leo and Raph.

"I said that I think my invention shrunk Michelangelo." Donnie groaned

"SHRUNK!" Mikey squeaked upon hearing what his intelligent brother had just said "This is so not cool." he thought as he gaped at the room that was no longer spinning, instead he noticed that he was now able (if he felt the desire to do so) to cross the threshold of the mouse hole in the corner and see what was on the other side.

"I'M SMALLER THAN A MOUSE!" Mikey yelped as he rushed around like a chicken with it's head cut off, starting to panic.

"Shh! Did you guys just hear that?" Leo inquired of the others

"Ya, dat sounded like Mike, cept not as obnoxiously loud as he usually is".

"No one move, if he really did get shrunk, we don't want to step on him".

Everyone froze while they waited to see if their baby brother would make another sound, or even better, manage to reach them of his own accord so that they wouldn't have to move their feet and risk squishing him.

"Okay, I need to reach the others and have Don turn me back to my normal size". He gulped, "before something totally, terrible happens"! Mike started off determinedly in the general direction of his bros voices.

Mikey made his way through a jungle of discarded technical components to reach the doorway. At times he would run into a dead end or need to climb up tall piles of various objects Don had left lying around on the floor. To the miniscule turtle they felt more like mountains. He eventually found his way through the maze and peering out saw his three brothers all standing stock still right outside the entrance to the lab. As he rushed forward he tripped over an abandoned screw on the floor and went flying through the air. Fortunately for him he landed on something soft (and green)!

"Huh! What da shell, something just landed on my foot." Raph glanced down confusedly to see what looked like a large beetle clinging to the big toe of his right foot.

"What in the world are you complaining about?" Leo groaned wondering what his short tempered brother was on about now.

"There's a big, green beetle sittin on my foot!" Raph squeaked. He really hated bugs! So, while trying not to move in fear of stepping on his baby bro, he couldn't help shaking his foot around to hopefully dislodge the disgusting insect.

Mikey (who had recovered from his trip) was currently in the process of riding Raph's toe like a mechanical bull while the latter was flinging his foot around working on ridding himself of what he imagined was a gross, green-shelled bug.

"Raph you need to control yourself and stop moving around. It's just a little insect, where as you are a mutant turtle, it cannot possibly do you any harm." Don reasoned

"What do ya want me to do then, let it sit there all day and..." but, before he could finish his rant they all heard a tiny voice call to them from below.

"Hey dudes, I'm down here", came a squeeky voice. His three brothers looked down at the exact same time to see Mikey (who was now leaning back on Raph's foot as if it where a throne) staring up into the middle of the circle the elder turtles where standing in.

"Mikey!" Leo and Don exclaimed in relief while Raph snarled (embarrassed to be made a fool of) "Mikey you had betta git off of my foot… unless ya wanna go for a short flight dat is!"

Mikey quickly took the hint and slid off his temperamental brothers foot to land safely on solid ground. He then tilted his head back as far as he could and met his brother's gawking eyes.

"What are you dudes staring at, it's not like I meant to end up the size of Shredders brain!" Mikey stated with a laugh, trying to break the uneasy silence while his three (now giant) brothers stared down at him, mixed emotions playing on their faces.

"Hahahahaha" suddenly all three of the older turtles broke out in uncontrolled hysterics. Partially due to the joke but also in part to their baby brothers predicament.

"Hey guys, if you're laughing at my joke then that's fine, but if you're laughing at me it's not funny at all! I could get stepped on, or worse flushed down the toilet!" His voice shook on the last part and he shivered, thinking of all the terrible outcomes that could occur now that he was so micro-teeny.

"Serves ya right for all the pranks ya try to pull around here! Now you've gone and gotten yourself into a LITTLE bit of trouble, haven't ya?" Raph snickered between fits of laughter.

"Raph's got a point Mike, maybe you should try to turn this into a SMALL learning experience!" Leo lectured, chuckling a bit, but was interrupted before he could continue.

"Mikey's right you guys, this is not a laughing matter, why don't we all try putting ourselves in his TINY shoes." Donnie snorted at the joke then continued, "But seriously, imagine how he must feel to constantly be on the look out for incoming feet".

"Yea so enough of the wise-cracks!" Mikey pouted "So what are we going to do? I'm not gonna be stuck like this forever am I? That would be a major bummer dudes."

While talking they slowly move to the living room Mikey catching a lift with his oldest brother. They settled down on the couch and continued to discuss the fiasco they now found themselves caught in the middle of.

"Don't worry Mikey", Donny reassured his only little brother. "I should be able to reverse the effects of the Shrink-O-Ray once I'm able to scavenge around for the components that were ruined when it fell"

"How long do you estimate it will take you to find all the necessary parts Don?" Leo inquired

"Not long. Most of these parts are fairly common place", he paused, scratching his head. "There's one fuse that I might have a little trouble with though. All in all I should have it fixed in about a week".

"I need to stay like this a whole week? What will I do? I can't play video games cause the remotes too big. I can't read comics cause they're on the top self in my room. I can't skateboard cause my board's twenty times bigger than I am! This week is gonna totally blow"! Mikey kicked a crumb then slid off the couch, turned and walked away to find something relatively entertaining to do.

Meanwhile Donnie contemplates on how he'll go about finding the necessary parts to fix the shrink machine and Leo and Raph try to figure out how to keep Mike out of trouble in the mean time. They stay like that for a while before Leo breaks the silence.

"He looked kind of depressed, maybe we shouldn't have made fun of him earlier" Leo said in a regretful way remembering the way his baby brother had walked dejectedly into the kitchen a short while earlier.

"The Knucklehead had it comin and ya know it!" Raph pointed out. "It was only a matter of time till he landed himself in some kinda trouble or other. With all the pranks he pulls, one was bound to go wrong at some point. It just so happened to be sooner rather than later".

"Raph, that's not fair. I know that Mike can be a bit… mischievous sometimes." Donnie defended.

"Sometimes?" Raph interrupted

"Okay most times , but still I'm sure he feels bad enough already without our teasing. We should be supporting him, not telling him how terribly he screwed things up this time."

With that the three dispersed to do what was needed to prepare and restore their youngest brother back to his normal carefree self once more.

Mikey was in the kitchen. After having scaled the cupboard, he had managed to obtain some of the leftover pizza from earlier. He was now busily devouring it as he thought back on the situation he now found himself in .

Leo decided to meditate on the issue, so he left for the peaceful solitude of his room. Clearing his mind he focused on the problem at hand, letting himself fall into a tranquil state of mind.

Raph took a rather different approach, deciding to take out his pent up aggression from the whole mess on his punching bag. It never stood a chance as Raph hit it with a mean right hook.

Donnie went out and started searching for the necessary components needed to rebuild the Shrink-O-Ray. The Junk yard was his best bet at finding anything useful.

All four of them were wondering how long it would be until Mike was back to normal once more.


	2. Flying Brothers and Mad Mouse Attacks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **AN: Here's the second chapter. Hope you people continue to read! Please review I would really apprecate it!**
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> **Disclaimer: No I do not own TMNT (wish I did though, lol)!**

It was two days since the incident had happened, things had been going relatively well, and no major problems had arisen. Mikey was just making his way out for breakfast, (it took a bit longer to reach the kitchen now that he was so small!)

Raph, Leo, and Don were in the dojo for morning practice. They had just finished doing katas and had stated to spar. Leo and Raph were busy doing hand to hand combat, each trying to over power the other. Leo threw some punches at Raph who in turn dodged. Raph blocked another punch to the head but missed the kick Leo had directed to his chest, sending him flying backwards toward the hallway.

Mikey passed in front of the dojo just in time to see a shadow come over him. Looking up, he recognized the flying form of his red banded brother, and tried to duck out of the way, before he was crushed beneath it.

Raph felt his arm land on something and with dread filling his heart he quickly leapt to his feet and turned to stare at the area he had just vacated. There on the floor, laying completely still was his baby bro, Michelangelo!

"Donnie, Leo! Git over here now"! Raph yelled, panic rising up inside him.

Leo was the first to reach him and immediately understood what had happened. "Oh no! What have I done"? Leo kneeled down next to the prone form of the younger turtle. "I should have known better than to make such a stupid move, he's so small and fragile he could have been completely crushed"

"Hey Leo, it's not your fault. There was no way ya could have known he would cross in front of da doorway right at dat exact time." Raph said, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

Donnie had ran up as Raph was speaking and quickly got to work examining Mike. After several more minutes he let out a relieved sigh. He looked up at his older brothers before gently lifting Mikey up off the floor.

"He'll be fine". Leo and Raph shared a relieved look. "There aren't any broken bones. Mike has a small cut on the left side of his head from when he hit the ground, that's the reason he's unconscious." Don found a small piece of clean cloth and made a makeshift bandage to wrap around his wounded brothers head.

"Raph didn't land directly on him, most likely it was either an arm or leg. He should wake up soon and he will most likely have a killer headache. You two can apologize then. For now keep an eye on him, I'm going to go out and look for more parts so we can get him back to normal". With that he laid Mikey down on the couch and headed for the door.

Mikey groaned as he came back to his senses. Man, was his head ever killing him! He lifted a hand up to try rubbing the pain away only to find that he had a bandage wrapped in a tight circle around his head. The events of earlier came rushing back- the shadow coming from above, running to get out of the way, not fast enough, a crushing weight hitting him, falling toward the ground, a sharp pain in his head, then nothing. _"Raph must have landed somewhat on me, which caused me to fall and hit my head on the floor. Ouch, no wonder it hurts like shell"_ Mike thought to himself.

"Hey Mikey glad to see ya up, sorry bout landing on ya like dat" Raph reached over and patted Mike's shoulder with the tip of his finger feeling bad about accidentally hurting the young turtle. "If I would've known ya were there I would've avoided it at all costs"

"I'm sorry too Mike. I should have been more careful, especially with the way things are right now". Leo apologized, regret evident in his voice. "I never meant for you to get hurt like this"

"No problemo dudes"! Mikey gave a huge smile "If a little headache is the Worst I get out of this mess, I'm getting off easy!"

All three broke out in fits of relieved laughter, breaking the tense atmosphere that had clouded the room since Mikey first fell unconscious. They got breakfast soon after, seeing as how the youngest had never made it out to the kitchen. Then they sat and talked about all the fun stuff they would do together once he was back to normal.

Don got home a little while later and started asking medical questions. "Mikey I see that you're awake, how are you feeling?" Don asked as he entered the room that the other three occupied.

Mikey turned toward the voice of his newly arrived brother and smiled, "I'm feeling fine" he replied. When he saw the disbelieving look from Donnie he quickly added, "mostly, my head hurts a bit is all".

"That's good" Don said, looking his only baby bro over carefully. "A headache is to be expected in this type of situation. It's only natural after hitting your head so hard. Can you see okay? No blurring, double vision, anything out of the norm?"

"No. Everything's normal". He sighed at his brother's obvious concern. "The headache was way worse when I first woke up, it's faded a lot now. You don't need to worry so much bros, I'm not little anymore!" His brothers all gave him a skeptical look, and he sighed again. "I mean I'm not a little kid anymore dudes".

The three older brothers looked at each other and smiled. Leo spoke for all of them, "You may not be a little kid Mikey, but you will ALWAYS be our little brother, no matter how old you are, that will never change." Each of his brothers agreed, embarrassing him so much he started to look like a tomato from the blush that spread over his face like a wildfire.

"We all love ya Mikey and dat will never change, ya hear"? Raph added in a rare show of affection, which made him blush all the more.

"Yea thanks guys, it means a lot to me, ya know"? Mikey was so choked up with emotion that it came out as little more than a whisper. "You guys mean the world to me too and this mess hasn't seemed as scary with all of you supporting me like you do." He gave them all a shy little smile before continuing more boldly, "Now Donnie, how's the Shrink-O-Whatever coming? I am SOOO done with being small, it's such a drag!"

Don laughed and said, "I only need to find a couple more components, then we'll be ready to get you back to your normal, energetic, shell- kickin self." Mike let a relieved smile cross his face thankful that he would hopefully be back to normal before much longer.

Over the course of the next few days Mikey kept himself busy and entertained by creating new and fun ways to enjoy himself, and worry his older brothers half to death. First he decided it would be an awesome idea to go sliding down the furniture on a piece of cardboard. All was going well until he tried the steepest part of the couch. He would have landed on his head if Leo hadn't walked in at that very moment, saw him go flying off into space, and dove to catch him! Needless to say that activity was banned forever.

The next thing he chose was to fly. By making a paper airplane and jumping off the highest point that he could reach, he yelled "Cowabunga!" at the top of his lungs as he took flight. Mikey circled through the air doing various stunts- corkscrew, loop de loop, nose dives, and kamikaze maneuvers. It was all fun and games until Raph walked in and Mikey's kamikaze hit him right between the eyes.

"MIKEY!" Raph shrieked furious. As soon as he hit the floor Mike took off running and hid in a little space behind the TV stand to await the dissipation of Raphs anger.

He then discovered the wonderful world of soap sliding! He would intentionally spill water on the kitchen floor to get it wet, grab the bar of soap from the sink, and propel himself across the slippery surface at amazing speeds. Mike was just getting the hang of what he called the "spin cycle" running and jumping on the soap at an angle so that it would spin at high speeds, when Don walked in. Slipping on the wet soapy surface, trying to keep his footing, Donnie was doing an amazing foot-loose floor dance! After narrowly avoiding stepping on top of Mikey as he spun to safety on the bar of soap, that was the end of that too. (Except for the clean-up).

The next morning before breakfast, before he even got out of his room, before he got the chance to come up with a spectacular new game, Mikey was cornered by all three of his older brothers. They did not look pleased with him, not one little bit.

"Mike we have something we need to talk to you about". Leo started. "It's of the highest significance".

"Does it have to do with Donnie fixing his machine and me getting back to normal"? Mikey asked hopefully.

"No it don't ya knucklehead"! Raph growled. "It's about all your crazy stunts you've been pullin' the past couple a days."

"Oh. Yea. that… Hey did you dudes see that new movie that was on TV? You could totally tell the zombies were fake. You'd think that in this day and age they could get decent makeup artists and special effect experts wouldn'y ya"? Mike said trying unsuccessfully to get them to change subject.

"That's not gonna work Mikey. We are going to discuss this whether you like it or not" Don stared him down with his intelligent, piercing eyes.

Mikey made a break for it! Ah, but he was quickly apprehended when Leo flipped over him and barred his path. He turned to head the other way when Raph bent down and caught hold of his shell, slightly lifting him into the air so his feet couldn't touch the ground .

"Ya ain't gonna git out of this one Mike, even if I've got to carry ya to the table!" Raph snarled at him.

" Major bummer dude." Mikey sighed in defeat "Fine, lets get this over with already".

After Raph placed him back on the ground, the three elder turtles led their youngest brother over to the kitchen table. Don and Leo were on his sides while Raph walked behind. Knowing from experience how Mike would do anything to get out of trouble, they figured it would discourage him from trying to make another run for it. In a couple minutes the were all situated around the table (or on top of it in Mikey's case) with steaming cups of tea in front of them, and a plate of cookies in the middle. Of course Mikey had to drink from an inverted pop bottle cap.

"Now," Leo began. "Do you want to tell us why you're almost getting yourself killed on a daily basis?"

"I was just finding new ways to have some fun around here. Man, you haven't lived till you've leapt off the highest point in the house with nothing but a piece of paper between you and certain death!" He paused dramatically before continuing on excitedly, "It's the most epic feeling ever!"

"Ya know Mike, as fun as dat sounds… I think I'm gonna have to pass on it", Raph informed sarcastically.

"And it's extremely dangerous". Don's face was deadly serious. "You could have died any number of times in the last couple of days. What if Leo hadn't caught you when you flew from the couch? What if the paper plane crumpled while you were in mid flight? What if I would have fallen or stepped on you when I slipped on the mess you made of the kitchen floor? You most likely wouldn't have walked away unscathed from any of those situations. Just thinking of all the possibilities is giving me a terrible headache".

"Donnie, you don't look so good. Maybe you should go lie down", Mike told his genius brother while trying not to laugh. Then he added, "and get off my shell! It's not like I got hurt for real".

" _they're just worrying over all the possibilities that COULD have happened, don't they know needless worrying creates premature wrinkles"?_ he added silently, chuckling to himself.

"Mikey please, just promise us you'll stop doing these crazy stunts", Leo spoke again calmly, "then we won't have need to worry constantly, and maybe, just maybe, we'll be able to get some well deserved rest, and be able to relax for awhile."

"Besides" Donnie piped up "I've almost finished repairing the damage the Shrink-O-Ray obtained when it hit the ground. Then you'll be back to your old self, and be able to do all the stuff you could before this whole disaster started!"

"I truly will be glad to be back up there with you dudes" Mikey said, glancing up at his gigantic older bros. "It'll be really nice to be able to play video games, read my comics, and go boarding again. Then he added with a dreamy expression on his face, I sure have missed doing my favorite things while I've been stuck like this" he had a dreamy expression on his face before being snapped back to reality by Raphs voice.

"Don't ya worry Mikey, I'll be beatin ya at video games again in no time"! Raph declared, snapping him back to reality with a cocky grin upon his face.

"Not if I have anything to say about it Raphie boy"! Mike retorted in his usual smart-aleck tone dashing away.

With that Raph charged after him yelling "Oh your in for it now Mike! I told ya not to call me dat! Once I git my hands on ya I'm gonna wipe da floor wit ya all the way inta next year, ya can count on it", Mike ran, slid down the table leg, and disappeared under the refrigerator before Raph had the chance to make good on his threat.

Once safe from Raph he decided to go explore while he still had the chance (since he would be back to normal in no time, thanks to Don). While he stared around him in amazement, and slight disgust, at the pieces of moldy food scattered about, he failed to notice a dark shape rapidly approaching him. All of a sudden a fierce squeaking filled the air coming directly from his left! Mike turned his head slowly, then had just enough time to dive out of the way before a pair of deadly sharp teeth would have connected with his shoulder!

"AHHH"! Mikey screamed in fear! Rushing out, (from what was supposed to be his refuge from Raph,) into the wide open space of the kitchen floor "MAD MOUSE! MAD MOUSE! MAD MOUSE!"

The rodent raced out after him, quickly gaining speed. He could feel the mouse getting closer and closer as he fought to make it to the table so he could scurry up the leg to safety. As he neared the leg he took a flying leap only to realize that it was too slick to climb. He slowly slid back down. Thankfully though, before the mouse was able to make turtle soup out of the orange clad comedian, his brothers made their move!

Seeing Mikey come running back into their line of sight screaming at the top of his lungs, the three remaining turtles knew something was terribly wrong. As they watched in horrified fascination a large mouse pursued him, viciously sharp teeth snapping as it neared it's soon to be victim, from under the fridge. They immediately launched into action trying in vain to land a blow on the frenzied creature as it chased their terrified brother in laps around the room.

"This ain't workin"! Raph steamed, after another attempt to discourage the crazed rodent from attacking the tiny turtle obviously failed.

"I know" Leo yelled as he made another dive to stop it and missed, while Mike led it between his legs in an effort to give him the advantage. "We have to keep trying though, for Mikey's sake"!

"Can you guys play keep away long enough for me to get an invention from my lab"? Don called out as he missed the mouse once again. "I think it'll help with this new calamity we're facing".

"YES, GO IF IT WILL HELP"! The other turtles shouted, (even Mikey as he made a sharp turn to the right, narrowly avoiding the mouse as it landed where he had been mere seconds before). "JUST HURRY"!

Donnie rushed to the lab and grabbed a small, black, electronic box from one of the tables before whipping around and sprinting back the way he'd come. As he entered the kitchen he managed to avoid Leo and Raph who collided with one another as the mouse raced between the two of them. They had both ended up making a move for the cunning rodent at the same time, and the impact from the collision sent them both crashing to the floor, stunned.

"Hey guys, a little help here, PLEASE!" Mikey cried out desperately just as the mouse finally managed to subdue it's prey. With a triumphant swish of it's tail, little beady eyes glowing with anticipation, teeth gleaming, lips pulled back in a gloating grin, it readied itself for the kill.

After having tricked the two elder turtles into smashing into each other, it had leaped and hit Mikey from behind before he had a chance to do anything to prevent it. He now found himself lying flat on the floor pinned beneath the uncompromising mass of the creature who wanted to make a tasty, green snack of him. Suddenly the mouse reared up, growled ferousiouly, clawed the air with it's front feet, and quick as a nunchuk brought its head down, going straight for the jugular! Just in time Mikey rolled a bit to the right and the needle sharp teeth bit into his left forearm. Luckily that's as far as it got, for right at the moment it bit down Don turned on the device he had snatched from his lab. The "Mouseinator"-Dat da ta daa! was designed specifically to control the rodent infestation in the lair. It sent out a painful high frequency shockwave that then stunned the mice long enough for them to be taken care of.

"Get off of my little brother"! the normally docile turtle screamed as he pointed the little, black box at the offending creature.

Then four things seemed to happen at once. The mouse released it's hold of Mikey, shrieked in pain, and then sat paralyzed. Mike passed out from pain, and the sight of his own freely flowing blood. Leo and Raph rushed to their feet, leapt forward, and whisked Michelangelo to safety, hurrying into the next room. Donnie grabbed a bowl off the counter, slammed it down on the unsuspecting mouse, trapped it inside, took it to the boomerang garbage shoot (another of Dons ingenious inventions), and sent it into the great beyond.

In the meantime, Raph and Leo had taken Mikey into the living room where they'd carefully laid him on a couch cushion, and were now fussing over him, checking to see how badly he was injured. As Donnie walked in after disposing of the petrified rodent, he noticed Mike's pale green face and his arm still bleeding heavily. He told Raph to hold pressure on the wound, and for Leo to get a cloth to cover Mikey so he wouldn't go into shock. He then rushed to get supplies to care for the nasty wound, coming back in moments and shoved past his hovering older siblings to reach his injured little brother, who was still passed out.

"Hey! Watch it Donnie"! Raph barked as he was pushed none to gently to the side.

"There's no time for the attitude Raph" Don said with a pointed glare. "I need to clean this bite thoroughly before it gets any worse. Rodent bites are known to be highly susceptible to infection, and with Mikey being the size he is now that would most likely result in a very bad outcome".

"Meaning?" Leo inquired urgently feeling a sense of great foreboding closing in around them.

"Meaning he could die if this wound gets infected, because he's too small to fight off the toxins that are produced by the bacteria entering into his bloodstream!" Donnie declared as he continued cleaning out the puncture mark on Mike's arm.

Hearing what their highly intelligent brother had to say, Leo and Raph stepped back with concern clouding their faces, allowing Don to work without interruption. All the while hoping they were in time to stop the disaster that had just been described from befalling the youngest member of their family...


	3. A Colorful Flashback

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **AN: Welcome to the third chapter. Have fun reading and please review! Thanks ;)**
> 
> **Disclaimer: Nope still don't own TMNT!**

After Don told them he'd done everything possible for Mikey, they all stood there worriedly looking at their baby brother. Each of them were locked deep within their own thoughts remembering, reflecting, regretting the last encounter they had each spent with the baby of the family before this whole mess commence

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

_Leo was in the dojo practicing the new katas Master Splinter had shown them that morning when he heard his name being called. Glancing up he was met with the eager face of his baby brother._

" _Hey Leo, why don't you stop practicing already and come play the new game I picked up the other day? It's totally far out dude!" Mikey exclaimed as he waved the game case around wildly._

" _Yo_ _u know Mike, you could stand to practice need to improve the aspects of your fighting style, rather than play those silly games all the time" Leo snapped, frustrated not only by the interruption but also by the fact he couldn't obtain the perfect form he'd been trying for in order to conquer the move he was attempting._

" _Okay, umm, sorry I bothered you". Mikey turned away unshed tears stinging his eyes, as Leo once more returned to practice._

_He glanced up in time to see Mikey run out of the dojo, a hurt expression on his normally sunny face. Leo felt bad, but figured he'd go apologize later. Maybe offer to spend some one on one time with him to make up for his lack of patience..._

_-XXX-XXX-XXX-_

_In the garage Raph was busy giving his shell cycle a full tune-up. Suddenly he heard pounding feet and his youngest brother came bounding into view. Guessing what Mikey was about to do, Raph stood up straight and braced himself for the impending impact._

" _Raph! Let me ride the shell cycle, PLEASE"! Mike called out as he ran pell-mell and rammed into the waiting form of Raph._

" _There's no way in shell you'd ever be able to convince me to let ya ride my cycle, ya twerp" Raph snarled as he recovered from the crash and pushed his brother off of him._

" _But, Raphie." Mike didn't get more than that out before he was forced to dodge the wrench Raph threw at him!_

" _I told ya not to call me dat, ya knuclehead! now git lost, i got work to do"! Raph hollered, and he turned back to his cycle._

_He watched the way Mike slunk out of the garage looking for all the world like a kicked puppy. Trying to concentrate on his work was now proving very difficult. His mind kept wandering back to the encounter with Mike. Raph finally gave up and started thinking of how he could make it up to baby bro. He knew he had been too harsh, losing his temper, yelling, and hurting Mikeys feelings just wasn't right (even if he was upset about being crashed into for the umpteenth time! He'd think of something to do later to make up for it..._

_-XXX-XXX-XXX-_

_Back in the lab Donnie was working on one of his new inventions. He was just about to put on the finishing touches, when Mike interrupted him._ " _Hey dude, what's up? Need any help with your machine from your most awesome little bro in the whole world!?" Mikey asked with as much enthusiasm as he could muster._

" _Mikey ,you're my only little brother" Donnie pointed out not even sparing a glace Mike's way as he continued to work. All he had to do was readjust a few wires here, test the connections there ,and it was ready for the first test run. "Maybe we can work on something together this afternoon, once I finish up the testing on this invention." he murmured_ _absentmindedly._

" _Sure," Mikey replied dejectedly "whatever you say dude" and he walked away. Donnie made promises to let him help work on a new project several times before but they all fell through when he failed to remember._

_Donnie looked up some time later to realise Mikey had left the room. He knew when he was busy with an invention, that he tended to forget everyone and everything else even existed. As he thought of all the times he had promised to start a new venture with his only younger bro he felt terrible. He had always gotten so engrossed in his existing inventions, he had forgotten to start one Mike could help with. Don promised himself he would make it up to Mikey for all those times he'd didn't remember, forgetting his promises would no longer be an excuse..._

_-XXX-XXX-XXX-_

Meanwhile, what's going on in the subconsciousness of the unconscious Michelangelo? He was remembering that day as well.

_Mikeys thoughts swirled in a confusion of colors, switching as emotions and memories swarmed around him._

_PURPLE._

_Mike was bored. N_ _one of his bros wanted to hang with him, and the game he was playing wasn't as fun alone as it would be with the others._

_RED._

_Mike was angry. They treated him like a little kid, always telling him to go away._

_BLUE._

_Mike was sad. He thought of all the rotten things the others had said to him and felt the sting of tears in his eyes._

_ORANGE._

_Mike was thinking... "PAY BACK TIME"!_

_Suddenly, orange was consumed in the war for dominance being waged by the other colors, as all three older turtles entered the room. Before they had a chance to notice he swiped his arm across his eyes erasing the evidence. Maybe they wanted to spend time with him after all! He looked at them with a hopeful expression on his face. As his eldest brother began to speak that look vanished to be replaced with a false smile._

" _April needs some help at the store." Leo stated in a no nonsense voice._

" _She just got a new shipment in and was wondering if we could help her organize the inventory. I told her we'd be there in half an hour"._

_When Mikey showed no signs of moving, Raph tipped up the chair he was currently situated in spilling him onto the floor below. "Get ya shell in gear Mikey or we're gonna be late, and ya know how April gets when her schedule is interrupted."_

_Mikey picked himself off the floor. "Bummer guys, I totally forgot that Master Splinter told me that I couldn't leave the lair till I practiced my katas… so I better go do that" Mikey said rubbing his head nervously._

" _Mikey are you feeling okay"? Donnie asked worriedly while checking the younger turtles forehead for a temperature._

" _Yea Mikey, practice? Ya really think we'd buy dat excuse?" Raph snorted "as if"!_

" _Don't mind Raph, just go get practicing". Leo stated, proud the youngest had finally taken seriously to heart, what he'd often told him to, about needing to improve his skills . "We'll be back in time for dinner bro, see you then"._

" _Okay, see ya later, dudes" Mikey called before the door closed behind the other three turtles. As his brothers left, orange shot through the oppressing atmosphere to reign supreme once more._

_Mikey immediatly started thinking of ways to get sweet, hilarious revenge!_

_REVENGE! REVENGE! REVENGE!_

_Revenge for all the times that his brothers ignored him. Revenge for all the times they hurt his feelings. Revenge for all the times they broke their promises. There would be a separate prank for each of them, fitting each of their three separate styles. Mike decided that he would finish reading his latest comic and grab a quick bite to eat before getting to work on his masterful plan._

_ORANGE RULES!_

_Mike was happy._

_He turned and walked away, a devious smile forming on his face, as he decided Donnie would be perfect as his very first victim._

-XXX-XXX-XXX-

Mikey resurfaced from unconsciousness almost a full hour later. He could feel a comforting presence surrounding him and opened his eyes to the concerned faces of his elder brothers standing above him. They smiled at him with unparalleled relief as he gazed up at them with big puppy dog eyes.

"You guys saved my tail back there", Mikey whispered, throat dry, as he started to sit up. At the same time Leo, Don, and Raph exploded into action.

"Take it easy Mike"

"Have a drink of water Mikey"

"Let me help ya bro"

Mikey gulped, thinking about his close call. He looked at his brothers and then with a stronger voice replied, "I'd have been one dead turtle if it weren't for my amazing, shell kicking, three turtleketeers big bros!" He giggled a bit as he added the last part (having recently watched The Three Musketeers). The brothers just stared at him, each thankful to see how well he was doing but surprised at his fast comeback.

" _Man they really did come through for me this time though, I'll lay off the pranks for a few days to show them my gratitude."_ Mike thought as he waited for a response.

"This ain't a movie Mike" Raph started criticizing, but stopped when he noticed the way his youngest brothers face was starting to lose it's goofy, ever-present grin "This is a shell of a lot better! After all, where else can ya find four Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!?" Mikey's smile returned even brighter than usual upon hearing his gruff natured brothers enthusiastic cover-up.

Seeing how happy the conversation was making Mikey, Leo continued it, "Someone should seriously make a movie out of that, it would be an Oscar nomination for sure. Or better yet, how bout a TV series? A weekly dose of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!"

"I can see the catchphrase now", Donnie went on in his best sing-song voice "Heroes in a half-shell, Turtle Power!"

"Whoa dudes, that would be super fantastic" Mikey added with barely controlled enthusiasm "I can't believe no one's thought of it yet. We could be, like, SUPER HEROES!" his voice rose in volume as he got more and more excited by the concept.

Leo brought some cold pizza for them to chow down on, Raph grabbed the milk from the fridge, and Donnie went and retreived the pop bottle cap for Mikey. Then they continued to talk amiably about the diverse ideas they each had for what the show would feature. Needless to say everyone had different points of view, though they all agreed that the main focus would be on family. After checking Mike's wound once more to make sure it was still clean, and realizing the threat of infection was now low to nonexistent, three of the turtles decided to turn in for the night. They were all tuckered out from their very exhausting day. The other, who was used to keeping late hours, went to work finishing up the machine that would enable them to turn there little brother back to normal. With skill, and a whole lot of luck, it would be finished by lunch tomorrow.


	4. You're Home Early

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **AN: Presenting the fourth chapter. Hope you continue to read if you like it! Reviews welcome!**
> 
> **Disclaimer: I'm still quite a few million dollars away from owning TMNT**

Donatello was exasperated. He'd stayed up so late working on the reversal process of the Shrink-O-Ray that he thought he was going to have to hold his eyes open with toothpicks this morning! There was a glitch. A horrible, ridiculous, insidious, irritatingly, disgusting, stupid, glitch! How or why or where it came from he had no idea. He twisted this, tightened that, changed a couple of these, and moved a few of those, and still whatever object he tried to return to normal size came out of the vortex deformed. The body of the item was right but the top stayed small. (He could just imagine Mikey with a full size body and a head the size of a pea! He definitely would NOT be a happy bro!) So Don choose to go to bed for a couple hours of sleep knowing he would figure it out and fix it in the morning.

When Don returned to his lab he decided he's have to completely tear the Shrink-O-Ray back apart. Re-check every wire, screw, fuse, resistor, capacitor, everything. Something was causing that unexplainable glitch, he just had to find it. Shaking his head he doggedly set to work hoping to have an answer before Mike and the others woke up.

Mikey was dragging himself out to the kitchen for breakfast the next morning, (actually it was around noon since he had slept in) when he heard his genius brother call out in triumph.

"YES, it's finished" Donnie came rushing from the lab, as his other brothers entered from the dojo. "Mikey, we can return you to normal anytime you're ready".

"Awesome dudes I'm ready now," Mike fist pumped the air before continuing, "you have no idea how glad I'll be not to have to worry about three pairs of colossally huge feet wherever I go, besides dust balls the size of basketballs, and falling debris!"

Everyone was silent as they thought of how their baby bro must have felt. It was true, the older brothers could only imagine the horror of the last week. nearly being stepped on, or accidentally getting knocked off the table during meals, by his own brothers no less. It must be relatively absurd, as well as profoundly terrifying, to have to worry about avoiding some obstacle either flattening him, sending him flying, or even trying to dine on him for lunch! Plus all the hardships on a daily basis of accomplishing body hygiene (how do you brush your teeth when your smaller than the tooth brush), having to sleep in a pop-tart box (using a sock for a sleeping bag and cotton ball for a pillow), and on top of everything retaining a cheerful attitude when he couldn't even ride skateboard, play video games, or enjoy his comics.

The time had now, at long last, arrived though for Mikey to revert back to his normal self.

"Mikey I need you to stand in the center of the lab and be completely still", Donnie informed him as they moved into the lab.

"Alright, let's git dis show on da road" Raph barked out loudly "It's about time this is over and done with, don't ya agree"?

"This is the moment you've been waiting for Mikey, the moment we've all been waiting for…" Leo remarked as he gave his youngest brother a reassuring smile. "I bet the first thing your going to do when this is all done with is play another prank"!

"Oh no dudes", Mikey put his hands up in front of him, "I'm done with all that!"

" _At least for the time being! I've had enough adventures for now, that's for sure"!_ he added, thinking of all that went on this past week (due to his planning of his last prank)!

Donnie powered up the Shrink-O-Ray and placed the settings in reverse so it would set back the effects from the last time. He was all but ready to shoot Mikey with the ray when the door opened, and in strolled Master Splinter, back a whole week early. All the boys looked up with startled and uncomfortable gazes as their father serenely entered the room, keenly looking them over before he spoke.

"Greetings my sons, my friend has made a wondrous recovery." Splinter addressed, while gazing searchingly around the lair. "Where is Michelangelo"?

The elder turtles looked at each other, then glanced at the floor between them. Their Sensei peered downward, wondering what his students could possible be staring so intently at. There, gaping up at him with the most adorable look of apprehension on his face, was his orange clad, youngest son.

"Hey, Master Splinter, you're back, uh, early". Mikey squeaked, shuffling his feet, looking like a child with his hand caught in the cookie jar.

Splinter sighed, "I see you have once again managed to get yourself into trouble my son." Their sensei gave the tiny turtle a slightly amused look before glancing around at the rest of his boys. "Would anyone care to explain what has transpired this past week while I have been away"? He inquired.

They all nodded their heads. Don laid the Shrink-O-Ray on the counter, Leo asked Mikey if he wanted a lift, and they all headed into the living room where they could be more comfortable. After all were situated, including Mikey, upon his cushion "throne" the brothers spared no time before launching into the extensive tale that was their adventure. While his sons recounted all the events that had led up to this moment Splinter listened in mild fascination. Asking a few questions for clarification, laughing, frowning, or empathizing as the story unfolded. He was proud of all his sons, for various reasons pertaining to each individual.

Leonardo had shown his natural leadership skills, once again proving beyond a doubt he was worthy of the position. In the way he took it upon himself to keep the peace, as well as in reprimanding his youngest brother when he was participating in dangerous activities, showed his abilities, honorably growing.

Raphael, his normally hot-headed son, had showed his compassionate side while comforting the younger turtle in his moment of need. He had also instantly forgotten his earlier anger when faced with the possibility of his little brother being hurt in front of his very eyes. Learning lessons and accepting needs has strengthened his character.

Donatello's intellect could not be doubted, he had proven his genius many times over. After immediately realizing what happened, he got to work figuring out a solution to the problem. He had also proven his medical skills in having to patch up the youngest family members injuries. Despite great obstacles, he has grown in perseverance.

Michelangelo, his youngest son, who was always ready with a joke to relieve a tense situation, listened to the advice his elder brothers had given him. He somehow managed to make the situation seem less dire than it should have been, which in turn kept everyone from panicking. He has improved his listening skills, and learned valuable lessons about the danger of "pranking" also. He has grown in wisdom.

"I am so proud of you my sons", Splinter spoke up once the story was at an end. "You have shown great courage in the face of such unforeseen trouble and worked together to get through this hardship as a family."

"Yes sensei" the four turtles say as one. (Happy that their father was not upset with them for what had transpired in his absence). "Now let us go to the dojo to meditate for an hour or so on the life lessons that have been bestowed upon us." And with that they all went to the dojo, (Leo giving Mike a lift).

_SPLINTER'S FLASHBACK_

_Splinter was beginning to grow accustomed with the circumstances he now found himself facing. It was peculiar to say the least, having been turned into a humanoid rat and then becoming the adoptive father to four young mutant turtles. He was a master in the way of ninjutsu and would raise his sons to be worthy ninja, but that would come later when they were older. For now, giving them names would take priority._

" _Ma'ter Thinter me hungry"! an adorable, little voice broke through his concentration as he felt a slight tug on the arm of his kimono._

_Looking down he spotted his youngest son, wide blue eyes gazing up at him, a hand still clutched on his sleeve, and lower lip trembling as if he were about to cry. Standing behind him were his three elder brothers, shaking their heads, and grinning at the antics of their baby brother._

" _Do not worry my son, I shall go find us all something to eat." Splinter started toward the door, only to turn back once more to give his sons a stern look. "Behave yourselves while I am gone. Do not leave this place"._

" _Yes Master Splinter", came the three older brothers reply. While the younger said "Yes Ma'ter Thinter"._

_Splinter made his way out of the sewers into the alleyways of New York. He made sure to stay in the shadows and never be seen. Soon he came upon a dump, behind a pizza parlor, with enough edible leftovers to feed his small family. As he was making his way back to the man-hole cover he had first emerged from, Splinter happened to pass an old book store. Lying on the ground outside were several old books wrapped in colorful fabric. He gathered the books together and returned to the sewer with his spoils in tow. As he entered the cavern, they now called home, four little green turtles gathered around waiting for their dinner._

" _Do not push my sons there is plenty for all", he calmly stated as the youngest tried to shove past his elder brothers._

_After they had finished eating Splinter sent the young ones to bed and sat down to look over the books. He was soon entranced by the beauty he saw within the pages. Each book was about different artists, each with their own styles and strengths. He understood now that it was a sign, he was meant to find these books. He meditated for the next hour and finally came to his decision. The next week after he finished reading the last of the books he addressed his sons._

" _My sons, I have decided that the time has come for you to receive your names. I will name each of you after one of my favorite renaissance artists, I will also bestow upon you a colored mask, marking your first step toward becoming a true ninja."_

_Splinter then placed several strips of cloth on the floor in front of where he knelt. He commanded the four young turtles to kneel in front of him, oldest to youngest. They obeyed and everyone was soon ready to begin the naming ceremony. Splinter called for the oldest to come forward._

" _You shall be known as Leonardo", Splinter announced. "As the eldest you are a natural choice for leader. You will be responsible for making tough decisions and taking care of your younger siblings."_

" _Your color is blue" Splinter spoke solemnly as he tied the cloth in place over Leonardo's face "Blue represents TRUST, LOYALTY, and INTEGRITY, I trust you will use these skills well to lead your brothers._

_The blue clad Leonardo listened intently to what his father was saying. Once Splinter was finished talking Leo took his place beside his brothers. Splinter called his next son and an angry looking turtle knelt before him._

" _You will be Raphael". Splinter proclaimed. "You have a fiery attitude that will serve you well when you learn to control your temper. You are also the most physically powerful of all your brothers._

" _Red is the color I chose for you" Splinter announced as he tied the cloth on Raphael's face. "Red symbolizes STRENGTH, COURAGE, and POWER, I hope you will use your strength to protect your brothers._

_Raphael listened then returned to his previous position, his red mask proudly in place. The next turtle was already making his way up to their father. This one with a very intelligent looking face._

" _You are Donatello", Splinter pronounced. "You are very intelligent for one so young. Your mind is your strength. It will serve you and you're the lives of your brothers well as you learn more about the world we live in._

" _Purple will be your color," Splinter said as he reached out and tied the cloth around Donatello's face. "Purple embodies WISDOM, DIGNITY, and CREATIVITY, I know you will use them well._

_Donatello quietly took note of what his father was saying, while he carefully touched the meaningful piece of purple fabric. He went back and sat next to his youngest brother who was fidgeting uncontrollably where he sat._

_Splinter called for his youngest son to come forth. The smallest of the four rushed forward, tripped, and went sprawling on the floor. He picked himself up and knelt in front of his father while his older brothers were busy tying not to laugh. With an uncompromising glare from Splinter the three older turtles hastily grew silent._

" _My son I shall call you…" Splinter started to extol when the rambunctious little turtle interrupted him with_

" _Wat!? wat my name Ma'ter Thinter"? Splinter gave an amused look before patting the youngest member on the head._

" _You shall be Michelangelo" Splinter replied with a smile. As he heard what his name would be, the littlest turtle's eyes beamed with excitement. "You are full of life my son, I can tell that you will be the heart of this family"._

" _Orange is the color that I feel best suits your personality" Splinter continued, as he turned him around and tied the mask on his youngest sons face. He then stated softly, "It stands for ENTHUSIASM, HAPPINESS, and DETERMINATION, all of which I see prominently in your personality, all of which will hold this family together._

_The young orange covered Michelangelo ran to his father and threw his arms around him, and Splinter returned the gesture. Soon the other three newly named brothers also ran forward and the whole family joined together in a group hug, with Mikey sandwiched in the middle. Splinter knew there would be many difficult trials in store for his young sons, but those thoughts could wait. For right now he was content in knowing that as they grew they would all protect one another from any danger that happened to come their way._

_END FLASHBACK_

Master Splinter cleared his throat (to let his sons know the meditation was over) and stated calmly, "let us return to the lab now". Then he led them (with Leo again giving Mike a lift) out of the dojo to the lab. Leo sat Mikey down in the same spot he'd been at when their father had arrived home earlier (and surprised them). He stepped of to the side as Master Splinter declared with a smile "Now let us use Donatello's invention to restore Michelangelo to his true form". Then their sensei quietly commanded "Donatello if you would be so kind".

"Already on it Master Splinter..." Donnie pointed the ray once again at his only younger brother "Ready Mikey"?

"Ready as I'll ever be". Mikey responded, wanting to get his ordeal over with

The ray of light hit Mikey much the same as a week ago, the world spun with a twister of colors and sound surrounding him, but the opposite direction from last time. It seemed like hours before it finally receded, from whence it had come, but in all actuality it was only a few minutes. As the light faded Mike had just enough time to realize that he was now able to see his brothers faces, without having to crane his neck at a sharp angle, before he once again blacked out.

As Mikey swayed Raph leapt forward, not a moment to soon, and caught his baby bro before he had the chance to kiss the floor. He gently picked him up and carried him to his room. Once there he laid him down on the bed and tucked the covers carefully around him. Before he left to join the rest of his family in the main room he bent down and placed a gentle kiss on Mikey's forehead.

"Good to have ya back bro" Raph whispered "It sure was different around here this last week, and to be perfectly honest I've missed the pranks your always pullin'.

Raph left Mikey sleeping soundly, but not before he noticed the slight smile that had spread over Mikes face. As he rejoined the others everyone looked at him expectantly.

"Don't worry, I tucked him in and everything" he said as he sat down on the couch

"It is good to see you showing your more compassionate side in caring for your younger brother Raphael". Master Splinter smiled at his sons obvious discomfort.

"Hey, I ain't doin no such thing"! Raph tried to recover his tough guy persona, "He's still a little knucklehead. Always was, always will be".

The other two brothers as well as their father laughed long and loud, while the red banded turtle tried to hide the blush rapidly spreading across his cheeks. After a while though he gave up and joined in as well. They stayed like that for quite a while, laughing and talking together while the youngest member slept peacefully in his room. They were all so happy that Mikey was safe and finally back to normal. As the day grew dark and night rapidly approached, each of Mikes three brothers made a silent vow to never push their fun loving sibling to be anything other than what he was already. For the way Mikey was right now was perfect for him, even if it did sometimes annoy them. They also vowed that they would not forget, they were each going to work on spending some one on one time with their youngest bro.


	5. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **AN: This is it, Epilogue, the end of my first fanfic, (Kinda sad). Reviews are always welcome. Thanks for reading through to the end!**
> 
> **Disclaimer: No TMNT does not belong to me, sad to say.**

The next morning Mikey woke up in his bed. He remembered the events from the past week and bolted up to look in the mirror.

"COWABUNGA!" Mikey shouted, upon seeing his reflection. "I'm totally back to normal"!

At hearing their younger brothers exuberant outburst, the older three turtles, who were sitting in the living room waiting for Master Splinter, smiled and shook they're heads.

"Same old Mikey" Leo stated looking toward the door as the younger turtle rushed into the room.

"Would you like it if he weren't"? Donnie laughingly asked.

"No way in shell, he's perfect the way he is". Raph added with a grimace, "Even if he is a smart aleck pain in da shell"!

The rest of the day was normal enough. They had morning practice with Master Splinter where Mikey was reprimanded for not concentrating on the task at hand. After breakfast the brothers took turns challenging each other to video games. Mikey dominated but the others still put up a good fight! They had pizza for lunch. In the afternoon they went their separate ways. As Mikey went to his room to read some comics he assumed his brothers would also do their normal activities (Leo practicing or meditating, Raph tinkering with his shell cycle, or working out with his punching bag, and Donnie inventing something or studying medical treatments). He was quite mistaken though, for what they were really up to was much different than normal. Previously, during morning practice, each of the boys had talked to their sensei about the reasons why they'd made decisions to make changes concerning their little brother.

After making sure Mikey was secure in his room his brothers went out to the garage were they could talk without the worry of being overheard. None of them had forgotten the promises they'd made about spending time with their little bro.

"We need to do something to make it up to Mikey for being such jerks lately," Raph stated in a voice filled with resolve. "Especially me, I shouldn't be so short with him all the time".

"I wasn't a jerk, I was giving him sound advice". Leo said defending himself. As he caught the looks from his brothers he added, "I guess I was to strict with him sometimes though"

Donnie was looking thoughtful as he said, "I really need to work on keeping my promise to let him help me sometimes. I just get so distracted when I'm working on a new invention, that I forget to make time to include him".

They all agreed that they would each spend some one on one time with their baby bother starting tomorrow after morning practice. They picked straws to determine the order. Donnie drew the shortest straw so he would be first, he decided he'd start right after breakfast. Leo was second, and Raph last having drew the longest straw. They'd take turns, one each day, every day from now on, to include Mike in the various aspects of their lives, and they'd ask to be included in his. With that decided they went their separate ways to decide on the activities for the next day.

When morning came there was an undisguised air of excitement reverberating through the lair. Morning practice came and went, as did breakfast. It was now time for the brothers to put their plan into motion. The older siblings were in the living room when Mike bounced up to them.

"Cowabunga dudes, wanna check out the new scary movie I found"? Mikey looked around in anticipation "it looks absolutely, positively, shell rippin, horrifying!

"Sorry Mike, I gotta go work out a few kinks in the shell cycle, maybe later". Raph declared as he got up and walked to the garage, sparing a sly glance at the younger turtle as he left.

"And I need to practice the new katas we learned from Sensei this morning" Leo replied as he patted Mikey on the shoulder and walked past to the dojo.

"Oh, okay", Mike's smile fell and he gave a dejected look as his two oldest brothers walked away without looking back.

Suddenly Donnie piped up, "hey Mikey, if you want we could go to the lab. You can help me design a new invention bro. Then we could work on it together whenever you want"

"Whoa Dude! Really"? Mike's smile returned and he immediately took off toward the lab with Donnie close behind.

"Now what kind of machine do you think we should build"? Donnie asked as he moved his coffee cup to the side and they sat down next to his idea board.

After thinking seriously for a bit Mikey suggested, with a questioning look in his eyes at his intelligent brother "What about a cleaning robot"?

"Oh man little bro! Donnie exclaimed, "what a mungo great idea! Sure thing"!

"Let's start drawing out the plans! Anything you think it needs feel free to put down... ok? After all this is our project, right?" Then Donnie took out a large, blank paper and added "Neither of us will work on it unless the other is present."

For the next several hours they worked feverishly, stopping only for a short break and later for lunch. They came up with many features for the robot to utilize. Mike thought it would be a good idea to have it be interchangeable so they could also have it bring them snacks. Donnie believed it should be able to help with difficult problem solving. They also decided when it was finished they'd paint it Orange and Purple to symbolize their joint cooperation, and they would call it "MiDo"!

As the day wound down they discovered how much they enjoyed working together, and decided they'd get together one day a week from now on.

As they were putting the finishing touches on the blueprint Leo came and stood in the doorway. After a while Mikey looked up noticing his eldest brother for the first time. Leo stepped forward with a grin, nodded at Don and said. "It's supper dudes, you've been in here all day. Raphs already in the kitchen with Master Splinter waiting for us. Lets eat, and then we'll make popcorn and watch that movie Mike".

"Alright" Mikey screeched "lets go"!

And that is how they spent their evening, as a family.

The next day again after breakfast and practice it was Leo's turn

"Hey Mikey" Leo said in order to get the younger turtles attention, who was sitting in his room reading his latest super hero comic book, "How bout you and me go grab some lunch then play that new game you got last week"

"Oh man, I completely forgot that I had picked that up" Mikey beamed at Leo as he jumped up, grabbed the game, and raced out of the room. Leo laughed. It felt good to see his brother so excited and happy. He followed Mike out the door to the kitchen, were they ate P.B.J.s and drank large glasses of milk. After eating the youngest raced for the living room. When Leo made his way in Mikey was already busy setting up the controls. It was a racing game featuring the Dukes of Hazzard, and it turned out to be a truly fun, challenging, game for both of them.

Racing through the fields Leo shouted, "I'm not going to lose to you Mike" really getting into it now.

"Don't count on it" Mikey yelled as he pulled out in front, making his brother crash into a tree in the process. "You're playing against the king of the Playstation Leo. I won't be defeated that easily dude."

As the afternoon wore on, Mikey won again and again, grinning gloating, and taunting Leo that he was king. Sometimes he won by a mile other times it was really close. They both agreed it was a great game and so much fun that they decided they would do this gaming one day a week from now on. Just then Mikey got too over confident doing 360s in the middle of the road, Leo came from behind, crossed the finish line before his little brother had time to react, and gave him his first single unprecedented loss.

"Ah bummer", Mikey groaned V8ing himself and laughing "that teaches me to fool around while facing such a determined opponent."

Raph and Don walked in as the final race came to an end, they were trying unsuccessfully to hide his laughter. Leo glanced at him and gave a victory thumbs up as Mike looked at them with enjoyment shining from his eyes. Then he reached over and shut the game off and put it in it's case. As Raph said "Master Splinter says come to supper, so lets git movin".

Mikey raced for the kitchen with the other brothers bringing up the rear. Afterwards, Master Splinter had them all go to the dojo to meditate for a time before going to bed. Prior to dismissing them he informed, there would be a family meeting in the morning after practice. Everyone retired for the night wondering what their sensei wanted to speak to them about.

When they met the next day, Master Splinter cleared his throat and started speaking, "My sons, I want you to know that I am aware amongst you. Time spent together is never a waste. It is valuable to all concerned. You've all done commendable. (And he looked at Raph and winked) Goodnight". Master Splinter finished as he got up and left the room

Now it was Raphs turn, and his plan was a "knock your socks off" sort of surprise for his baby bro.

"Yo Mikey, why don't ya come spend some time with me"? Raph growled as he grabbed Mike gently by the arm and started hauling him from the room.

"Raph where are you taking me"? Mikey asked, digging in his heels, voice full of suspicion.

In response Raph placed a hand over the younger turtles eyes, using his other to guide him away from any obstacles present. "Trust me bro," he laughingly responded "That's for me to know and for ya to wait and see"

They entered the garage without incident and soon made it to their destination. Raph gave directions and Mikey soon found himself straddling something unseen, (Quivering with excitement because he was afraid to believe what he thought it was). Once his little brother was positioned Raph slowly removed his hand allowing the younger turtle to see.

"What the shell, seriously"? Mikey questioned in wonder, he couldn't believe his eyes. He actually was sitting on top of Raphs shell cycle. "You're gonna let me ride it? Seriously dude? You're gonna let me ride it bro? Mike's voice kept escalating as he spoke.

"Ya, and no" Raph explained as he watched his younger brothers face break out with a huge grin that almost immediately vanished "Yea ya can ride it, but I'll be the one doin the drivin, and we're gonna go for a ride, or do something together one day a week from now on. If ya want to that is" He inquired with a smirk.

Without warning Mikey launched himself at Raph and wrapped him in a bear hug squealing, "I love you Raphie".

"Love ya too bro", Raph said, a little uncomfortable at the sudden contact. "And don't call me dat"!

Once he was released from his brothers embrace, Raph walked over to a table, picked up a helmet, and tossed it to Mike before placing his own on his head. He walked over and mounted his shell cycle, turning on the ignition, before glancing back at his baby bro.

"Well, git on already"! Raph yelled. Mikey jumped on the cycle no more insistence needed and wrapped his arms around Raphs waist.

As the brothers departed the garage taking to the streets of New York, a lone word could be heard flying in the wind as the pair sped away into the night.

"COWABUNGA!"


End file.
